Advantages and challenges of alternative sources of adult-derived stem cells for brain repair in stroke.

Considerable promise has been demonstrated by cell therapy for the treatment of stroke. Adult-derived stem cells avoid the ethical dilemmas of using embryonic and fetal stem cells and thus are the ideal type of cell to study. There are a number of different types of stem cells that could prove to be useful, but there are potential concerns associated with each one. This review summarizes the current knowledge on the use of the different possible adult-derived stem cell types including their benefits and challenges. While the optimal conditions are still to be determined, these cells may prove to be at the forefront of stem cell research and ultimately therapy for stroke and other disorders.